Providing information, education, and training to build knowledge, develop skills, and change attitudes that will lead to increased independence, productivity, self determination, integration and inclusion (IPSII) for people with developmental disabilities and their families.

More Than Three Dozen Fined For Violating 'Danielle's Law'
By
Dave Reynolds, Inclusion Daily Express
November 3, 2006

TRENTON, NEW
JERSEY--Four years ago today, Danielle Gruskowski had a fever.

As the body temperature of the 32-year-old woman climbed to a dangerous
105 degrees, staff at her Edison, New Jersey group home gave her Tylenol and
changed her wet bedding. Instead of calling 9-1-1, the staff waiting until she
stopped breathing the next morning, then drove her to a doctor's office.
Gruskowski, who had Rett syndrome, a condition similar to autism that only
affects women, could not be resuscitated. Two hours later, she was pronounced
dead.

One year later, Governor James E. McGreevey signed "Danielle's Law",
which requires caregivers for persons with developmental disabilities to call
9-1-1 in life-threatening emergencies, or risk facing fines.

According to the Star-Ledger, over the past three years New Jersey's
Department of Human Services has issued $5,000 fines against 38 workers in both
state-run institutions and privately run group homes for violating the law.

Since the law's passage, caregivers called for an ambulance 9,789 times,
but there have been 61 instances where workers failed to call 9-1-1 when they
should have, according to state records.

The GCDD is funded under the provisions of P.L. 106-402. The federal law also provides funding to the Minnesota Disability Law Center,the state Protection and Advocacy System, and to the Institute on Community Integration, the state University Center for Excellence. The Minnesota network of programs works to increase the IPSII of people with developmental disabilities and families into community life.